John Hayes is Ireland's underrated rugby giant

Forget everything you have heard about John Hayes. Mind you, you don't have to forget much, for never has so little been said about an international sportsman. He has the persona of a ninja, if not quite the stealth.

Powerhouse: Ireland's tighthead prop, John Hayes, is at the heart of the pack's workPhoto: PA

The few comments you may have heard in the non-Irish press tend to write him off with frightening regularity, mostly for his scrummaging. By these accounts he is over the hill or should never have been on the hill. But with every brickbat hurled I am convinced that these same journalists do not get the phenomenon that is 'The Bull'.

There is a huge Munster flag that has been carted all over Europe. "Go on Bull, tis your field," it declares cryptically for anyone not from Ireland. It is a measure of the affection in which Hayes is held in the rural Gaelic Athletic Association heartland where he is from and still lives. He is adored for many reasons.

He was a late recruit to the game and did not come through the normal rugby school channels. He has coaxed legions of the hurling fraternity to the banner of Munster. His is the story of the everyman. When the supporters cheer, they cheer for what they believe could be attainable for them. Brian O'Driscoll's brilliance is something they can admire but that skill is a world away from every would-be player or supporter on the terrace. Hayes is industry and hard work, a triumph of substance over talent. He is a carrot to future players of what determination and application can achieve.

He has flaws in his game. Six feet four inches is not, and has never been, the height wished for at tighthead prop. To ask a player of that size to play at No 3 is an invitation to get mashed and Hayes has had his fair share of tough days. It is the most physically demanding position on the field and one of the most technical.

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In the scrum, the key element is the 'hit', that gladiatorial clash to take the strongest position in the front row. Hayes's height puts him at a disadvantage and this is where he sometimes comes a cropper. If he is slow on the hit he can not get into a strong position and it is downhill from there. If he gets the hit right, a bulldozer would not budge him. This is a large margin of error and the source of all the flak he gets. Some of it is justified but most is misplaced. It has been convenient to pigeonhole Hayes as a bad scrummager and ignore the influence he has on the team. The simple truth is that it is rare for him to be under pressure for long. Never once has he let an odd bad scrum lead to his head dropping. Indefatigable is a word that sits comfortably on his shoulders.

And my, but he is a beast of a man. I remember nine years ago having a heated argument with the manager of a hotel about the size of the beds he expected us to sleep in, and then, as if on cue, the Bull walked past my room. I asked him to stand in the door. His shoulders touched both jambs, his head touched the frame at the top. The only light that came into the room was over his shoulders. Point taken, all the forwards had double beds from then on.

One of the strangest sights to see from the back of the team bus was the Lewis Carroll-like view of Hayes sitting alongside Peter Stringer, our diminutive scrum-half. Hayes's bulk towered over the top of the seat while a few stray strands of spiky hair were the only evidence that he wasn't sitting on his own. They didn't look like members of the same species, never mind players in the same team.

Hayes has had no competition for nearly 10 years. But rather than relax, the Bull has surpassed all expectations on his play and fitness. At more than 20 stones he is as lean as a back. At 35 he still possesses the fitness and drive of men 10 years younger. Like Jason Leonard he is incapable of sprinting but can run forever, albeit slowly. Also like Leonard he understands his game better than anyone else. He is the best line-out lifter in world rugby, one of the best defending props and an awesome rucker. His standard has been incredible and long lived.

He equals the record for the most capped Irish player tomorrow and this longevity guarantees hero status in the front row. But that is of scant relevance to Hayes; the opinions that matter to him are always close at hand. A glance at the way his team-mates defer to him shows how integral he is to this Irish team. The respect in which he is held is simple, honest and comfortable, devoid of jealousy. Hayes is of the people and of this Irish team. And that is more than enough for him and Ireland.